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The camera has already "caught" a number of drivers, but no action has been taken as this is only a trial.

Critics have called the camera a mere "money spinner". Paul Smith, founder of the anti-speed camera group Safe Speed, told London's Evening Standard: "The fact that you do not know that you have been flashed adds more uncertainty to the driver's mind and uncertainty is never a good thing for safety."

A Transport for London spokesman said: "The London Safety Camera Partnership have been facilitating the trial of a new type of digital speed and red-light camera.

"The Home Office requires cameras to be trialled and to be approved by them before they can be used to enforce traffic law."

Meanwhile, cities across the country could follow Greater Manchester, which yesterday announced plans to charge motorists up to £5 a day to drive during the rush hour. London is one of the likeliest candidates to follow suit when it updates its congestion charge scheme in 2009 because the system cannot tell whether drivers are travelling against the flow of traffic during rush hour.

Transport for London has spent months testing more sophisticated technology.

Around 500 drivers in Southwark, south London, have had cards installed in their vehicles that can be read by gantries on the roadside.

Separate trials also tested satellite tracking technology but these were found to be less satisfactory.

Other cities, including Leicester and Derby, are expected to unveil schemes within months. Nottingham is likely to become the first city to impose a levy on parking spaces provided by employers to persuade commuters to leave their cars at home.

Local schemes are most likely to follow Manchester's example by collecting the money by using in-car "electric tags" that would be tracked by number-plate recognition cameras.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Telegraph, motorists passing through the inner and outer cordons in Manchester during the morning and evening rush hour would pay £3 between 7am and 9.30am and £2 from 4pm to 6.30pm.

Motorists who make infrequent visits to Manchester would be able to pay a one-off charge by ringing a call centre or logging on to a website.

Drivers can either charge up their electronic tags in advance or they will be sent a bill at regular intervals. They would either be able to pay in advance or within 24 hours of passing through the congestion zone

The Department for Transport declined to discuss the long-term technological options. However, its requirements for "interoperability" means that electronic tags used in Manchester will have to be readable by gantries used in other cities.

According to Greater Manchester, its congestion charging scheme will not come into force until the bulk of a £3 billion public transport improvement programme is in place.